Week 17 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Pickups to Help Secure a Championship

As hard as this is to fathom, it's already Week 17 of the 2012 NFL regular season and the final week of the fantasy playoffs for many leagues.

It’s time to hit the waiver wire hard for that last-ditch effort at a fantasy championship.

All of the following players are worth a look in every standard-scoring league and could be started at a flex position if injuries have decimated your lineup.

You made it this far—just one more week!

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

While the waiver-wire hunt for viable starters at this point is futile, there are several players—like Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall—that could be a serious flex option in Week 17.

After outperforming Jonathan Dwyer in his first game back from suspension, Mendenhall will be in a position to regain his starting job and receive the bulk of the workload.

With the Cleveland Browns on the schedule for Week 17, that’s a great matchup.

If you are looking for the safest pick, Mendenhall is the star fantasy owners should be grabbing off the waiver wire. While his upside is limited, the Steelers could get up early on the Browns and run it consistently.

Jason Avant, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

While the Philadelphia Eagles have played awful over the course of this season, one mainstay of the wide receiver group has been veteran Jason Avant.

With rookie Nick Foles under center, the sure-handed pass-catcher has flourished into one of the young QBs best weapons. Another eight catches for 70 yards was a nice addition to his already impressive season.

The likelihood of a huge breakout game is still small from Avant, but with plenty of targets each game, the Eagles receiver is your best fantasy option at WR from the Week 17 waiver wire.

Ryan Grant, RB, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have been destroyed at running back by injuries—Cedric Benson (foot), James Starks (knee) and Alex Green (concussion)—and the emergence of Ryan Grant is exactly what they needed.

With 20 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns for a very successful day on the ground, Grant proved the midseason signing was the right move by the Packers.

If your fantasy team is still in the midst of the championship week, or Week 17 is the one-week playoff for all the marbles, hit the waiver wire hard and grab Grant.

With a beatable matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this week, the Packers RB could win you a fantasy title.

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